The mother's wage gap - Can we fix it? Yes, we can!

Census data released last week shows that the wage gap is STUCK. Women, on average, still earn only 77 cents on the dollar compared to white men - and the biggest predictor for wage gap pay - is whether a woman is a mother or not. That's right, moms of all races earn less than their non-parenting peers, even when they do the same work.

Can you send a letter to Department of Labor Secretary Tom Perez and encourage him to release the compensation tool - a tool that will allow the DOL to collect information on salaries, wages, and other benefits earned by employees of federal contractors and subcontractors - and to make sure that employees of these contractors are receiving fair pay - without delay?

Sign Today!

Dear Dept. of Labor Secretary Tom Perez,

Across this country moms work hard, but they are often paid less than non-mothers and men - for the same work! This means our families take the hit. As a member of MomsRising.org, I ask that you do everything in your power to close the wage gap, starting with the development and release of the compensation tool.

The compensation tool will go a long way in the effort to close a wage gap that has not budged in over a decade. Thank you in advance for releasing this powerful tool and for being a force for good for moms and families everywhere.

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Hi! I just got this email from MomsRising about closing the maternal wage gap and I knew you'd want to take action too! See below for all the info!

- Melinda

Original Message:

Dear Melinda,

The kids cartoon show “Bob the Builder” is a staple in my house. So much so, that the theme song is on constant rotation in my head…except that I like to swap out “Bob” for “Mom” when I sing the song:

“Mom the builder…Can we fix it? Yes we can!”

That song came to mind last week when the U.S. Census Bureau released new data showing that the wage gap is STUCK and women, on average still earn 23 percent less than men earn for the same work. Women of color experience increased wage hits on top of that. Further, the biggest predictor of wage discrimination is whether a woman is a mother or not. [2] That's right, moms of all races earn less than their non-parenting peers, even when they do the same work.

The mother’s wage gap: Can we fix it? Yes we can! But we need better tools to get to the bottom of this!

One of the tools we need is the Department of Labor’s compensation data survey. It might sound wonky, but it will help tremendously. This survey would collect information on salaries, wages, and other benefits earned by employees of federal contractors and subcontractors. This tool is essential to giving employees and employers the information they need to end pay discrimination. And it's also essential to giving the Department of Labor the information it needs to make sure employers receiving our tax dollars are following the law.

Urge the Department of Labor to speed up its work on the data collection tool so we can better fix the wage gap!

The maternal wage gap isn't just a “women’s issue” it is a family and national economic security issue. Unfair pay impacts our overall economy because when women (who make the majority of purchasing decisions) don't have funds to spend, then our local and national economies (which are fueled by consumer spending) suffer too. And, to be blunt, unfair pay practices also means less money for food, education, housing, and retirement for millions of women and families nationwide.

It affects real people.

Real people like MomsRising member Ginger from Arizona who wrote:

“I have been a single mother for 15 years and made .60 cents on the dollar to my male counterparts. I have been discriminated against and I work for a federal contractor. We have to bring equality to pay and support American families. In my community over 50% of households are run by single mothers and we make the least amount of money than any other group.”

Knowledge is power. Moms and families need the reassurance that would come from knowing the Department of Labor's new data collection tool is on the job. Since 2006, the federal government has had NO tool to effectively monitor wage discrimination based on race, national origin and gender by private employers – and that is unacceptable.

We can fix the wage gap, but we need the right tools.

Two months ago, the Department of Labor got a new leader, and the data collection tool should be one of the first things on Secretary Perez’s agenda. Urge Secretary Perez and the DOL to speed up work on the data collection tool.

**And be sure to forward this to your friends and family so they can take action too!

Together we’re a powerful force for women and families.

-Ruth, Charlie, Kristin and the whole MomsRising.org team

P.S. The data collection tool is just one tool that we need to fix unfair pay. We also need Congress to pass the Paycheck Fairness Act. Take action here: http://action.momsrising.org/sign/fairpay_2013/?referring_akid=4669.1651993.KdD9xi&source=taf

P.P.S. Check out this great blog post from our friends at AAUW about the “Road to Pay Equity” outlines the path to fair pay! http://www.aauw.org/resource/road-map-to-pay-equity/

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